“We’ve Made It Clear – If the Gaza Ceasefire Isn’t Implemented, the UK Will Take Very Tough Action Against Israel” – Foreign Secretary David Lammy

“We’ve Made It Clear – If the Gaza Ceasefire Isn’t Implemented, the UK Will Take Very Tough Action Against Israel” – Foreign Secretary David Lammy
[London | 8 July 2025]

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has warned that if the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues and the proposed ceasefire is not implemented, Britain may take even tougher measures against Israel.

Speaking before the Foreign Affairs Committee in the British Parliament on Tuesday, Lammy criticized the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — a US and Israeli-backed aid distribution mechanism — calling it a failure.

He said:
“We’ve made it very clear — we do not support the GHF. It is not working. Far too many people are starving, and countless lives are being lost. We have led global opposition to this failed system.”

In recent weeks, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire while attempting to access aid through GHF channels.

When a committee member asked, “If this ‘intolerable situation’ continues, will the UK take action against Israel?” — Lammy responded clearly:
“Yes, we will.”

Last month, the UK — along with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway — imposed sanctions on Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who were inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Earlier, the UK had suspended free trade talks with Israel over the Gaza blockade and halted certain arms exports. However, many pro-Palestinian advocates have criticized these actions as largely symbolic, arguing:
“They are not nearly tough enough in response to Israel’s human rights violations.”

On Tuesday, Lammy also harshly condemned Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, saying:
“These actions are making a mockery of international law.”

When asked whether British pressure had prompted any change in Israeli policy, Lammy admitted:
“Not enough has changed.”
Still, he credited the UK government for its recent steps and for continuing to support UNRWA, the UN agency that aids Palestinian refugees.

He stated:
“I can say with confidence — no other G7 or European ally is acting as decisively as we are.”

However, Lammy acknowledged that British influence in the Middle East is limited:
“We are just one player.”

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a key trade partner of Israel, the UK holds significant diplomatic weight. Media reports have revealed that the Royal Air Force has flown hundreds of surveillance missions over Gaza to help locate Israeli hostages.

But Committee Chair Emily Thornberry warned Lammy,
“With ongoing settlement expansion and looming annexation, if you don’t recognize Palestine now, soon there will be nothing left to recognize.”

She added:
“We must recognize Palestine as a state immediately — and then work to make that recognition meaningful. If we hesitate any longer, we risk losing everything.”